1
as in forerunner
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics
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2
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
a precursor of the modern eggplant
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precursor
Tuesday’s demonstration served as a precursor to an informational picket scheduled for Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. outside the California Department of Human Resources.
—
William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
Proving that the bank has changed its ways has been a precursor to convincing the Fed to remove the cap.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
Waving farewell: Free agent linebacker Cody Barton will sign a multi-year deal with Tennessee, according to multiple reports, a precursor to the Broncos’ splashy signing of former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
—Luca Evans, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
In these follow-up simulations, a small star, about three quarters the mass of the sun, is birthed out of the dense gas with planetesimals—kilometer-scale precursors to terrestrial planets—in tow.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precursor
William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 12 Mar. 2025
Proving that the bank has changed its ways has been a precursor to convincing the Fed to remove the cap.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
Waving farewell: Free agent linebacker Cody Barton will sign a multi-year deal with Tennessee, according to multiple reports, a precursor to the Broncos’ splashy signing of former San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw.
—Luca Evans, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
In these follow-up simulations, a small star, about three quarters the mass of the sun, is birthed out of the dense gas with planetesimals—kilometer-scale precursors to terrestrial planets—in tow.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precursor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursor
Noun
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The notable feature of this particular death factory was its use of gas vans, a forerunner to the larger, more impersonal gas chambers built at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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In 1914, Frank Newman opened the Royal Theatre which was a forerunner to movie palaces in the city, a significant departure from nickelodeons.—
Michael Wells,
Kansas City Star,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The auntie’s going to always be there for her niece as an ancestor.—
Fox Maxy,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2025
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The ephemerides were the ancestors of astronomical tables, which still exist.—
James Byrne,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The endorsement is a harbinger of Dorsey’s ambitious vision for AI — equipping individuals and enterprises with open, adaptable AI tools.—
Tor Constantino,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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But these domestic shifts should not be understood as harbingers of a grand reopening to the West.—
Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar,
Foreign Affairs,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While there's no cure for the common cold, some treatments help with symptoms.—
Amelia MacIntyre,
Verywell Health,
14 Mar. 2025
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Fogginess in the morning is a common symptom in people who have a sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea, and a visit with a physician might be needed to rule out underlying disorders, Schütz said.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach star as the titular quartet, heroes who must defend the Earth against Galactus (Ralph Ineson), a ravenous space god who's hungry to devour the entire planet with the help of his herald, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner).—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
18 Feb. 2025
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In Turkey and the Middle East, the birds crop up in folklore as heralds of spring, guides for pilgrims, and the first creatures, along with two doves, to disembark from Noah’s ark.—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2025
Noun
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When the discussion plunges as deep as Gary Mabbutt and Swap Shop, that’s a sure sign that the game is not as enticing as normal.—
Amy Lawrence,
The Athletic,
13 Mar. 2025
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As expected, the bass, middle, and treble all go to 11, but the master volume has a new special feature — an infinity sign.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Zoom in: Soma Capital, Afore Capital and other angel investors also participated in the round.—
Tim Baysinger,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
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The move reunites Lin with Reeves, who became an angel investor in the filmmaker’s latest drama and return to indie roots, Last Days, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January.—
Borys Kit,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precursor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursor. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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